1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus and a method of controlling the image processing apparatus, and more particularly, to an image processing apparatus which analyzes attribute information given to each image file and manages images based on the attribute information compiled into a database and a method of controlling the image processing apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, in an information processing apparatus such as an image processing apparatus, database retrieve is performed using key words.
An information retrieve apparatus described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-362121 allows a user to enter any desired key word related to a desired program to be retrieved and to retrieve programs which match the key word from an electronic program guide by using a string search. Furthermore, the user can send the key word to a server on the Internet, receive an extended key word similar to the key word, and retrieve the electronic program guide by a string retrieve using the extended key word.
Also, a person identifying apparatus described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-222576 is arranged to recognize persons registered in face dictionary data, in a photograph image.
However, for example, key words, if stored in a database as with Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-362121, will cause enlargement of file sizes in the database. In particular, if the number of images to be processed in an image processing apparatus such as a digital camera or smart phone largely increases, the database will enlarge the size thereof greatly and a database retrieve process will take a great deal of time. Also, an embedded image processing apparatus such as a digital camera or cell phone does not have an enough amount of data processing capacity and built-in memory capacity, and thus there is demand to reduce processing time required for database retrieve while keeping the database from size increase thereof.
Furthermore, an image processing apparatus which does not have so higher data processing ability might encounter the inconvenience of being unable to perform other processes (e.g., a photographing process) during a database update (reconstruction).